


A Story of Christmas Amends

by RoyalCrimsonCloak



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28184391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyalCrimsonCloak/pseuds/RoyalCrimsonCloak
Summary: When the snow falls, Harry's heart remembers the one witch that could have made his Christmas merrier. When a chance meeting occurs in Diagon Alley, he chooses to take it and restore some magic for his curly headed love.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35
Collections: Harmony Advent Collection 2020





	A Story of Christmas Amends

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: This piece was created lovingly for Harmony and Co Advent . This is Christmas fluff with a twinge of angst. A A gracious thank you to MrsRen, my awesome Beta. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t thank kgfinkel for his input! This is a definite AU. Enjoy! -RCC

_Breaking up with Hermione was for the best_ , Harry repeated in his mind over and over, as he sludged through the snow in Diagon Alley on Christmas Eve. Even though it was nearly Christmas, you wouldn’t know it, for it was nearly deserted. It had been almost three years — but it felt like much less time, if his near constant melancholy was any sign—since their so-called “mutual breakup”, but in truth, it had been anything _but_ mutual. She had become entrapped by the promises made by Kingsley and the Ministry, while Harry had been off at a wizarding university to study Defense Against the Dark Arts deeper, and had earned a degree in the subject. His mind wandered as his footsteps led him down Diagon Alley. _He had just hacked off — err, killed Quirrelmort and was ensconced in the Infirmary being fussed over by Madam Pomfrey when the doors to the Hospital Wing banged open; a blurry form raced over and grapple-hugged him. “Miss Granger!” Madam Pomfrey whisper-shouted. “Mister Potter needs to rest,” she admonished. Harry tensed up at the sudden contact, but when he recognised the familiar scent, he slowly relaxed._

_She sat down, eyes suspiciously wet and raked them over him. “You could have been killed,” she whispered loudly. She sat back slowly, still keeping a firm grasp on his good hand. “I know”, he replied, looking away in guilt. “Harry, look at me,” she whispered, grasping his chin gently to turn his face to her. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you if something had happened,” she choked, hair frizzing out with untamed magic._

He kept his head down, lips nearly frozen in the brutal wind as his mind came back to the current. His one goal was to find Sirius and his Mum a present, even though his godfather had insisted that he didn’t need a gift. Most of the shops had already closed, but thankfully the warm lights of goblin-owned Relics and Rarities shown through the thickly falling snow. He reached it and pushed the door open, bells softly tinkling to mark his arrival. 

“Come in Mr. Potter,” a rough voice called from inside the shop. “I expected you earlier,” the voice grew louder as the goblin came from the back room; snapping his fingers and lowering the shades on the windows. Harry had sent a special owl to make an appointment after hours to pick up the gifts to avoid the spotlight. Harry stomped the snow off his boots and unwrapped the semi-frozen scarf from his face. 

He went further into the shop, browsing the various display cases, slowly approaching Blountmoth, who was standing behind the main display case. A beautiful necklace with a rough-hewn amber topaz encased in goblin-forged rose gold on a matching delicate chain caught his eye and immediately a wave of nostalgia engulfed him. The colour reminded him of the first time he’d truly realised how he felt about the curly-headed witch. Their second year had been traumatising, but when he saw her enter the Great Hall after being unpetrified… he realised then and there how much he cared for her. He may have been only twelve or thirteen, but Hermione was like family to him. 

The goblin came over to where Harry was standing and looked at the younger man over his half-moon spectacles. 

“Find something you like, Mr. Potter?” he inquired kindly. 

Harry nodded and motioned vaguely to the necklace, still lost in the memory. 

The goblin removed the necklace from the display and slipped it in a bag as Harry stood numbly. 

“Will that be all for you this evening?” Blountmoth asked. 

Harry nodded again and without looking, withdrew his wallet that Hermione had given him for a graduation present and presented the goblin with his black Gringotts card. 

The goblin shortly returned his card and the wrapped parcel to Harry and he took them wordlessly. 

Harry then turned and exited the shop, wrapping his scarf back around his neck and face. He walked a few feet, then bumped into someone, sending the bag flying, and the necklace sliding across the cobblestone. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” a female voice—a familiar one—spoke quickly. He’d know that voice anywhere. 

The witch in question picked up the bag, apologising again but held the necklace in her palm, admiring it. 

“This is beautiful,” she said wistfully. 

She looked up at who she’d bumped into, eyes widening when she saw familiar green eyes staring at her.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, wracking his brain for something, _anything_ to say. "Uh, yeah. Thanks.” 

"Are you seeing someone?" she asked, still fingering the necklace.

“Um...maybe…no…” He spluttered, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Hermione chortled at his response, causing him to turn red. 

“Erm, would you like to go get a cup of coffee?” Harry asked hesitantly. 

“Sure,” Hermione replied without hesitation. 

They walked the short distance to the coffee shop, and he held the door open for her. When she passed him, he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at her backside. _"I've missed that sweet looking bum.."_ he mused, unable to hide a smirk.

She chose a quiet table near the back as he joined the queue to order coffee. 

He returned to the table and handed her a steaming cup of black coffee, just as he remembered her taking it, then seated himself across from her, shrugging his jacket off. 

“Thank you,” she murmured, clutching the cup to warm her hands. She remembered that she still had the necklace and started to return it to him, but he held his hand up to stop her. 

“I had actually got that for you, Mi. I don’t know why, but I still think of you often.” _Actually every day,_ his subconscious reminded him. “I’m beginning to realise that breaking up with you _wasn’t_ for the best, and I’m sorry for that.” 

She stared at him, dumbfounded. 

“Me too, Harry,” she rasped once she found her voice. “After we broke up, the Ministry lost its charm, so I resigned almost a year ago and now work for _The Wizard’s Voice_ . I’m sorry that I’ve avoided you. It was just painful to see you and not be able to be _with_ you,” she finished softly, looking under her eyelashes at him.

Harry sat in silence as he nursed his coffee. _Hermione missed him as much as he did her!_

He cleared his throat and looked at her. “Mi, I’m not saying this just because it’s Christmas. I mean it. I know we can’t just pick up where we left off, but I would like to rekindle our friendship, at least. That is if you’re willing,” he said hesitantly. 

“I’d like to, Harry. Truly, I would,” she replied quickly. He stared into her chocolate eyes, nearly drowning in them. _He had been rescued again in his fifth year by Moody’s contingent and ushered to Grimmauld Place. Sirius was in St Mungos, in dire condition after an attack at the Ministry. When he reached the upstairs portion of the house, he had been accosted by a bushy head of hair; a Hermi-hug— as he had dubbed them in his mind. He’d been cut off from all contact with his friends. He swallowed the lump in his throat and sank into her embrace, soaking it up._

Harry reached across the small table and engulfed her dainty hand in his larger one, snapping out of the memory. He slowly pulled her hand up and kissed it, causing the woman to blush. 

“Here’s to a Happy Christmas and maybe some amends,” he spoke softly as they kept their hands entwined and finished their coffee. Harry eyed her, and choked on his coffee as she pulled her hands back and clasped the necklace around her neck, briefly brushing his lips under her ear. “I don’t think I was supposed to do that.” He managed to whisper. 

She winked, exhaling raggedly. “I’ll let you make it up to me.”


End file.
